It’s been an up-and-down season for the Memphis Grizzlies. They have one of the most exciting young cores in the NBA, but injuries have undermined their efforts to make the next leap at just about every turn. They struggled through a particularly tough stretch earlier this season when reigning Rookie of the Year Ja Morant went down with an ankle injury and missed multiple games.
Morant has been back in the lineup and working his way back to form, and while the Grizzlies make up some ground, they’re still sitting in the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference standings and will face a tough field in a potential play-in tournament to determine the final playoff seed.
They got some good news this week, however. According to team executive Zach Kleiman, Jaren Jackson Jr. is expected to return sometime in April.
Zach Kleiman says Jaren Jackson Jr. is “on track to return in April, by the end of the month.”
— Chris Herrington (@ChrisHerrington) March 26, 2021
It’s the most specific the organization has been about his return since he tore his meniscus during the Orlando Bubble. The Grizzlies opted to stand pat at the trade deadline, believing that Jackson’s return, combined with their talented young core, will put Memphis on the right path. Jackson, who also received his COVID vaccine this week, has averaged 15.5 points and 4.6 rebounds over his first two NBA seasons.